Consumer Security Market Trends, 2009 To 2010: Evolving Threats And Defenses

As the nature of cyber threats has evolved, consumers' definition of security and their expectations of solutions have been changing as well. With the rise of account compromise and identity theft as a primary and highly profitable goal for hackers, protecting consumers requires more than scanning email and files for viruses and spyware. Direct attacks on consumers are shifting to the Web, exploiting vulnerabilities in browsers and browser plug-ins, seeding social networks with malicious code or links to malicious sites, and creating new forms of social engineering attacks. Furthermore, given that identity theft can be perpetrated through data theft from third parties, consumers must look beyond the security of their own computer for protection, representing a significant shift in their focus on protection. Vendors are responding to these trends by developing cloud-based architectures, which can offer more responsive detection of malware, adding a blend of features and services to help customers browse in safety and protect their data, while partnering with identity theft protection services to round out their offerings.